Published: Thursday, January 7, 2010 at 11:11 a.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, January 7, 2010 at 11:11 a.m.

The fluffy, white bird had her own “posse,” neighbors who protected her if she was in the street and a car was close to hitting her, said her owner, David Callahan Sr.

But New Year's morning, as Quacky explored a neighbor's driveway near Point and Roussel streets, a roaming pit bull attacked and killed the pet.

“It was like a family member,” said Cheryl Callahan, David's wife. “They loved that duck, and it was ripped to pieces.”

The Callahans' 16-year-old son, Jacob, and a friend saw the dog attack the duck in a neighbor's yard. Jacob said he grabbed the dog by its collar, which lacked identifying tags, and held it until police arrived.

After they put the dog in a patrolman's car, the family scooped up Quacky's remains and buried what was left in their Roussel Street backyard.

The pit bull was taken to Terrebonne Parish's animal shelter, where it remains. No one has claimed it. And because the shelter doesn't adopt out pit bulls, he'll be killed later this week, according to officials there.

“The irresponsibility of pet owners, especially of pit bulls, is the reason we don't adopt them out,” said Valarie Robinson, manager of Terrebonne's Animal Shelter.

Callahan and her family said the attack is just one example of aggressive dogs in the neighborhood and why the parish needs better animal control.

But local officials defend their responsiveness to dog and animal complaints.

Police and animal-shelter officials agree that the problem with disobedient and aggressive dogs mainly rests with their owners.

“Pit bulls get a wrong rap because some people breed them for fighting,” said Capt. Greg Hood, head of patrol at the Houma Police Department. “Pit bulls are very smart. They're a very good pet, but it's how they're raised. You got Chihuahuas that are mean little suckers.”

Chihuahuas and small dogs come through the Lafourche Parish Animal Shelter as dog-bite cases more often than pit bulls, said Kelli Toups, the shelter's clerk. The smaller-breed dogs are lap dogs, so when new people come into their homes, they snap, Toups said. In 2009, the shelter had 40 dog-bite cases. The Lafourche shelter doesn't track dogs by breed.

“I see more pit bulls with cruelty cases than dog bites,” Toups said, adding that they often come in as strays.

Lafourche's animal-control program is enforced solely through local law-enforcement agencies: The Sheriff's Office has three animal-control officers, Thibodaux Police have two.

Terrebonne's shelter, however, shares enforcement responsibilities with local authorities. The parish's animal shelter has three animal-control officers, a cruelty investigator and an animal-control supervisor, Robinson said.

But if a dog or is reported as friendly or nonviolent, police will pick it up and take it to the shelter, she said.

And that's exactly what happened New Year's, according to Robinson. The shelter didn't respond because the dog was controllable.

Of the dogs admitted to the shelter, about 25 percent are pit bulls, Robinson said.

Staff Writer Naomi King can be reached at 857-2209 or naomi.king@houmatoday.com. Follow her on Twitter @HoumaGov.

<p>HOUMA — She was known around the neighborhood as Quacky.</p><p>The fluffy, white bird had her own “posse,” neighbors who protected her if she was in the street and a car was close to hitting her, said her owner, David Callahan Sr.</p><p>But New Year's morning, as Quacky explored a neighbor's driveway near Point and Roussel streets, a roaming pit bull attacked and killed the pet.</p><p>“It was like a family member,” said Cheryl Callahan, David's wife. “They loved that duck, and it was ripped to pieces.”</p><p>The Callahans' 16-year-old son, Jacob, and a friend saw the dog attack the duck in a neighbor's yard. Jacob said he grabbed the dog by its collar, which lacked identifying tags, and held it until police arrived. </p><p>After they put the dog in a patrolman's car, the family scooped up Quacky's remains and buried what was left in their Roussel Street backyard.</p><p>The pit bull was taken to Terrebonne Parish's animal shelter, where it remains. No one has claimed it. And because the shelter doesn't adopt out pit bulls, he'll be killed later this week, according to officials there.</p><p>“The irresponsibility of pet owners, especially of pit bulls, is the reason we don't adopt them out,” said Valarie Robinson, manager of Terrebonne's Animal Shelter.</p><p>Callahan and her family said the attack is just one example of aggressive dogs in the neighborhood and why the parish needs better animal control.</p><p>But local officials defend their responsiveness to dog and animal complaints.</p><p>Police and animal-shelter officials agree that the problem with disobedient and aggressive dogs mainly rests with their owners. </p><p>“Pit bulls get a wrong rap because some people breed them for fighting,” said Capt. Greg Hood, head of patrol at the Houma Police Department. “Pit bulls are very smart. They're a very good pet, but it's how they're raised. You got Chihuahuas that are mean little suckers.”</p><p>Chihuahuas and small dogs come through the Lafourche Parish Animal Shelter as dog-bite cases more often than pit bulls, said Kelli Toups, the shelter's clerk. The smaller-breed dogs are lap dogs, so when new people come into their homes, they snap, Toups said. In 2009, the shelter had 40 dog-bite cases. The Lafourche shelter doesn't track dogs by breed.</p><p>“I see more pit bulls with cruelty cases than dog bites,” Toups said, adding that they often come in as strays.</p><p>Lafourche's animal-control program is enforced solely through local law-enforcement agencies: The Sheriff's Office has three animal-control officers, Thibodaux Police have two.</p><p>Terrebonne's shelter, however, shares enforcement responsibilities with local authorities. The parish's animal shelter has three animal-control officers, a cruelty investigator and an animal-control supervisor, Robinson said.</p><p>But if a dog or is reported as friendly or nonviolent, police will pick it up and take it to the shelter, she said.</p><p>And that's exactly what happened New Year's, according to Robinson. The shelter didn't respond because the dog was controllable.</p><p>Of the dogs admitted to the shelter, about 25 percent are pit bulls, Robinson said.</p><p>Staff Writer Naomi King can be reached at 857-2209 or naomi.king@houmatoday.com. Follow her on Twitter @HoumaGov.</p>